Status quo won’t cut it for Jets

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This article was published 05/03/2025 (190 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PHILADELPHIA — Never mind the supposed sticker shock that some folks who follow the NHL — and others who work in it — might be feeling, Kevin Cheveldayoff has been around long enough to know that prices are always high at this time of year.

When you consider the Tampa Bay Lightning gave up a pair of first-round picks, plus a second rounder, to acquire a pair of middle-six forwards from the Seattle Kraken, you can understand why it’s taking the Winnipeg Jets a little longer to fill some of their wants and needs prior to Friday’s trade deadline.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel said after the morning skate on Tuesday that Cheveldayoff “has got a pretty good read on where we’re at” and that has nothing to do with this recent three-game winless streak (0-2-1) his team will attempt to stop Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

This isn’t about recency bias, overcompensating or overreacting.

If the Jets want to go on a magic carpet ride during the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, the roster needs to be upgraded.

That’s not to suggest a bunch of changes are required or they have to land the biggest name on the market.

The status quo, as impressive as the Jets have been to land in first place in the NHL with 20 games to go, isn’t going to be enough.

Size and scoring needed

Never mind the three losses, this has more to do with shoring up the areas that could use improvement.

The Jets are one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL, but they could still use a bit more size and scoring — as evidenced by being held to two goals or fewer in four of the past five games (including mustering just a single goal in two of those during the same span).

While Arniel was 100 per cent accurate when he said after Tuesday’s 3-2 loss all teams go through this sort of dry spell over the course of an 82-game season, having another weapon in the middle-six forward group would make the Jets even more dangerous.

The second-line centre position has mostly been in flux since 2018 — with the exception of time when P-L Dubois patrolled the middle with the Jets — and filling this spot remains a priority.

Vladislav Namestnikov has handled the responsibility well, but you can’t argue the Jets wouldn’t be a bigger threat to go deep if someone such as Brock Nelson of the Islanders were added before the deadline passes.

Nelson’s all-around game was on display Tuesday and even if he hadn’t generated a goal and added an assist on the power play, his ability to do the little things and make the people around him better make him one of the top targets of any contending team looking to bolster things down the middle.

At minimum, it’s going to take a first-rounder and a high-end prospect to entice Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello to consider moving Nelson if he can’t get him signed to an extension.

Nelson got emotional in his post-game interview with Shannon Hogan on the MSG broadcast Tuesday and observers had to wonder if the product of Warroad, Minn., might have played his final game for the team that chose him 30th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft.

How high-end a prospect would it take?

That’s where things get interesting.

Although the Jets don’t want to empty the cupboards, this spring could represent the best opportunity for the organization to take a run at the Stanley Cup, so being open to just about anybody not named Elias Salomonsson or Brayden Yager has to at least warrant consideration.

That’s not to suggest the Jets want to part with Brad Lambert, Colby Barlow or some of the other guys who have taken strides this season — since those types of players need to help extend the competitive window by eventually making the team on entry-level contracts.

However, we often talk about the cost of doing business and that’s why it’s essential for a draft, develop and retain organization like the Jets to strike that balance and give a little more than they might have wanted to enhance their chances of winning an additional series — or several.

Although an update on the status of forward Rasmus Kupari, who left Tuesday’s game with a head injury, won’t be available until at least Thursday, if he’s out for any period of time, the Jets might also consider a depth piece up front.

That became even more important after Nikita Chibrikov suffered a season-ending injury and energetic winger Parker Ford was recently injured with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League as well, with Moose coach Mark Morrisson listing his timeline in the six-to-eight week range.

The absence of Dylan Samberg — who missed Tuesday’s game for family reasons but is expected to suit up on Thursday — merely reinforced the need to add another blue-liner.

More specifically, someone like Rasmus Ristolainen, Luke Schenn or Mario Ferraro who would help the third pairing but be able to move higher onto the depth chart if certain circumstances arose.

Another name to keep an eye on is Carson Soucy of the Vancouver Canucks.

Bigger swing

Things haven’t gone as smoothly as expected this season for Soucy, but the Jets are familiar with him from his time with the Minnesota Wild and the Seattle Kraken.

He can be a physical force and his integration would be eased by the fact he was teammates with Neal Pionk and Alex Iafallo in college as a member of the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

Soucy is a left-handed shot but has been used on both sides this season and has one more season left after this one with a cap hit of US$3.25 million (though his salary is only US$2.5 million during the final year of the deal).

Acquiring someone such as Soucy could leave enough space to take a bigger swing for someone like Nelson, who is an alternate captain with the Islanders, suited up for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off and has 78 Stanley Cup playoff games on his resume, including a pair of trips to the Eastern Conference final.

Whether it’s these names or others who end up being the primary targets, Cheveldayoff recognizes that his team has done what is required to reward it by bolstering the roster before Friday.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld